1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method for association of information with an item of mail, in particular a letter. It furthermore concerns a method for transport of mail pieces, a data processing device that can be used in connection therewith, a system for transport of mail items as well as a corresponding mail item.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the presently-used postal transport systems, the mail items (such as letters and packages) are typically provided with a value marking or a corresponding franking imprint that, among other things, serves as evidence for the payment of the necessary transport fees of the selected postal carrier. For this purpose, the value marking or the franking imprint normally contains a series of graphical verification features, for example alphanumeric characters, barcodes etc. or other physical verification features (colors, materials, textures etc.) that contain information in coded or uncoded form. This information (possibly in combination) enables it to be determined whether the transport fees have been paid.
After the mail item has been transferred to the postal carrier, the carrier uses the value marking or the franking imprint in order to verify whether the fees necessary for the transport have been paid. If the verification is successful, the postal carrier takes over the transport of the mail piece to the desired location; otherwise, it rejects the item (if applicable).
In the verification of the value marker or of the franking imprint, the postal carrier has previously been bound to an optical detection of the verification features of the value marking or franking imprint. An automated, optical detection of the verification features is of interest for a fast processing of the mail items. For this purpose it is necessary to elaborately separate the mail pieces and to individually, optically detect each mail item. If the automated optical detection fails, a visual check that is very time-consuming and costly in terms of personnel must ensue.
In the verification of the value marking or franking imprint, a frequent problem is that graphical verification features printed on the mail piece cannot be reliably read automatically, such that the elaborate visual check by corresponding personnel must ensue. The cause for this can be a lack of quality of the printer generating the imprint but it can also be an unsuitable (for example too dark) document on which no contrast of the inherently correct imprint that is sufficient for the automatic detection. The imprint can also be wholly or partially destroyed, for example by moisture, tearing of the paper, etc.